Managers & Leaders, Tasks and YOU

1. Managers & Leaders, Tasks and YOU Frank Tsui 2012 (potential future chapter into the textbook)

2. One way of Categorizing People’s “Roles” • Followers • Not much initiative • Perform tasks when told, not necessarily understanding/agreeing • Doers • Understand and perform the necessary tasks • Sometimes performs very well and even initiates some tasks • Managers • Usually was a “good Doer” • Plan and organize activities to achieve a set of goals, often involving multiple resources • Leaders • Has a vision and a clearly committed direction • Can get others excited about the vision and direction *You may act in different roles in different situations: work, school, party, family, etc.

3. Categorizing People’s “Roles” (another view) INFLUENCE Individual Contributor Initiate Coordinate Inspire Followers Doers Managers Leaders You may play a different “role” in different environments: work, school, party, family, etc.

4. Life Stages over Time(“Work/Career”) High “work-energy availability” Energy scale “traditional’ desired career line/growth ? Low “work-energy availability” matured family young single established family young family retiring Life-Stages

5. 3 Task Categorization Mundane Exciting necessary tasks inspiring tasks non-meaningful tasks have “values” of different degrees very meaningful & inspiring low value & possibly unnecessary familiar & comfortable -uncertain/risky -high impact -exciting easy & highly repetitive Note: “Mundane” and “Exciting” boundaries may differ by person

6. 3 Task Categorization with “roles” Mundane Exciting necessary tasks inspiring tasks non-meaningful tasks have “values” of different degrees meaningful & inspiring low value & possibly unnecessary -uncertain/risky -high impact -exciting familiar & comfortable easy & highly repetitive Most of us are happy to be in the middle (Doers and Managers) (Followers and Doers) (Doers, Managers, Leaders)

7. Crossing over the “Boundary” Mundane Exciting necessary tasks inspiring tasks unnecessary tasks • Meaningful • Inspiring -Energy -Drive -Confidence • Comfortable & familiar • Have values - Uncertain/Rsky - High Impact - Exciting Note: Most of the “jobs” we get fall into “necessary tasks”

8. Move from “Necessary” to “Inspiring” • Requires an understanding that most of what we do are mundane and necessary and that 1) energy, 2) drive, and 3) confidence are needed to move into exciting and inspiring work. • Energy: physical fitness and talent • Drive: motivation and desire • Confidence: feedback and reward Who is “responsible” for this shift? ------ YOU with help of “managers, mentors, family, etc.”

9. But -- Managers and Leaders MUST also help • Energy: • Physical body needs to be fit ---- excessive “overtime” should NOT be normal; healthy food and exercise should be encouraged • Talent and capability are necessary ---- education, exploration, thinking time must be provided • Drive: • Motivation --- clear goals/direction must be stated • Desire --- virtues of the goals/direction explained • Confidence: • Feedback --- timely and honest feedback provided • Reward --- timely and fair rewards are given

10. Managers vs. Leaders • Leaders: • Possess “great” (great leaders) vision/direction • Explain the virtues of that vision/direction • Inspire others to adopt that vision/direction • Managers: • Understand the vision/direction • Develop goals to attain the vision/direction • Develop plans and acquire resources to achieve the goals Very few people are both leaders and managers: e.g. Bill Gates; Steve Jobs; Mark Zuckerberg (incipient)

11. Managers • Since most of the work is in the “necessary” category, the managers’ hardest work is to motivate and inspirethe people to perform the daily, necessary tasks with a PURPOSE as if they are inspiring tasks --- sometimes for years with the same people! This, perhaps, is why managing in the traditional “Fortune 500” companies are so different from managing in the “silicon valley” start-ups ?